


Not my Gotham

by Foxdemonsrock



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice
Genre: Action, Angst, Bromance, Crossover, Damian being a little demon, Dick centric, Dick whump, Dynamic Duo, Gen, Preboot, Season 1, Slight Supermartian, Team Dynamics, Whump, slight birdflash, the team meeting Damian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 21:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxdemonsrock/pseuds/Foxdemonsrock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It should have just been patrol/mission, like any other day. But when Warp decides to make an unexpected visit, all hell breaks loose. Slightly AU since I hate that DC separated Dick and Damian .</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Starts off in Batman-verse (Preboot) and then Young Justice (Season 1)-verse. 
> 
> Thoughts are italicized. Things that are italicized and underlined are spoken through the mindlink.

**Gotham City: December 16. 1:00am.**

The dark figure jumped to yet another slippery rooftop, catching himself effortlessly. The rain had been a constant drizzle all night, and the temperature was slowly dropping. Clearly, a wonderful night for patrol. His comm link crackled, signaling his partner on the other end.

"This is pointless. We've been out here all night and still no thugs. I'm beginning to think you enjoy dragging me about in the treacherous weather." The cowled figure sighs heavily, placing his hand to his ear to activate the comm link.

"Listen, I know this isn't my idea of fun, but we need to be sure no criminals try anything."

"We've been out for hours. I'll give you one more hour before I head home with or without you."

"Fine. Let's just make one more sweep past Crime Alley, just to be sure, then we'll head back. How about some of Agent A's hot chocolate?"

"Tt. You call  _that_  horrible concoction Pennyworth makes hot chocolate?" The most feared hero of Gotham smirks, chuckling warmly.

"I know you like it, Little D. You always finish your cup." The voice on the other end of the comm scoffs before remaining silent. "Robin-" His eyes narrow, hearing an explosion nearby.

"I'll meet you there, Batman." The comm goes dead, and the Dark Knight races to where the explosion originated.

* * *

"Why does it always have to be a warehouse?" The cowled vigilante grumbles, slipping in from a skylight soundlessly. He crouches down behind a tower of shipping crates lining all the walls. His eyes widen, seeing a man dressed in black tights with gold armor adorning his chest and arms, and wearing a golden helmet.  _What is Warp doing here?_ He freezes, seeing the costumed villain looking through several dusty crates.

"No need to hide, Bats. I already know you're here." Warp sings boredly, kicking an empty crate off to the side. The Dark Knight curses silently under his breath, throwing a batarang, which stops midair in front of Warp, before disappearing into a portal. Batman uses the opportunity to silently make his way to the other side of the villain. "You're too late. I already have what I came for." Warp grins madly, taking out a large bazooka shaped gun from one of the crates, and starts dusting it off. "I left it here for safe keeping." He smirks as Robin rushes at him, throwing a powerful roundhouse kick. The villain ducks, just in time, but grunts as a kick to the back of his head sends him toppling over. The large gun slips from his grasp and he curses, glaring back at the Dark Knight. The weapon slides across the worn concrete floor, and Robin glances over at Batman, nodding in response to his mentor's silent order.  _Secure the weapon. I'll take care of Warp._

The Boy Wonder rushes over to where the gun rested, only to be yanked back by his cape. Warp grins, having gotten a hold of ex assassin. Before the villain could make his move, a batarang imbeds itself into Warp's golden gantlet. The time traveler hisses, letting go of Robin, who dives for the gun. Two laser guns raise from the shoulder's of Warp's suit. He aims them at Robin, firing relentlessly as the bird flips out of the way. Batman hook-kicks one of the lasers, causing it to malfunction, and the villain to stumble off to the side. Warp catches himself on one of the crates, glaring back at the dynamic duo, panting furiously.

"I really don't have time to play with you. As much fun as it is to play with you, I need to end this." He freezes time around the Boy Wonder, pulling out a gun. "These really are primitive machines, but effective none the less. Hand over the weapon like a good little boy." Robin glares at the time traveler defiantly.

"Robin!" Batman tackles Robin out of the way just as the gun fires.

"I could have handled myself!" The Boy Wonder shoves his mentor off. Batman gets up slowly, his hidden eyes narrowing at his partner.

"Clearly." Robin glares right back, not missing the bloodstain forming on his mentor's chest.

"Such wonderful teamwork…" Warp chuckles, now holding the bazooka style weapon on his shoulder, which Robin had dropped during the tackle. "But it's time we wrap things up here. I'm on a tight schedule, you see." Robin tenses, and whips out a birdarang, tossing it at the gun. The birdarang halts before being sent right back and the villain snickers manically. The Boy Wonder easily dodges, and smirks as Batman kicks Warp's legs out from under him. The feared Bat hovers over their fallen enemy, about to take the weapon, when Warp quickly grabs it, firing it at Batman. The Dark Knight flies back, and crumples to the ground, crying out in agony.

"Batman!" Robin quickly runs over to his mentor, his eyes wide before glaring back at their enemy viciously.

"Looks like my time's up. Let's see what you choose. To come after me, or help your mentor." Warp grins as a portal appears behind him, and he steps through. Robin hisses out a string of curses in Arabic before looking back down at Batman, who was slowly starting to disappear. The Bat starts convulsing as his molecules start to slowly rip apart. Robin lays over Batman, squeezing his eyes closed tightly the portal Warp vanished through fades completely. The Boy Wonder grinds his teeth, trying not to cry out as he feels himself being torn apart as well.

"N-No! Damian! S-Stay ba-ck!" Batman rasps out, but Robin only holds him tighter.

"I'll make that freak pay for this." He clenches his jaw as his whole body feels as though it's on fire. The two are suddenly enveloped into a bright white light, and they scream in agony. Every molecule and part of their soul starts ripping apart. Robin painfully opens his eyes, seeing what was left of his mentor being scattered away from him. "Grayson!" Then, everything fades to white.

* * *

**Gotham City: December 18. 23:00pm.**

_What are we doing in Gotham again? Isn't this yours and Bats' city, Rob?_  Kid Flash's irritated voice comes through the six teenaged hero's minds.

 _Yeah, but he's giving us another chance, after our totally disastrous failure against Clayface. Heavy on the 'dis._  Robin sighs at the memory, repositioning himself on the roof.

 _Batman said that he found some strange readings in this area. He wanted us to check everything out and find the source of the power spike. We are to maintain radio silence and communicate telepathically via Miss Martian until we figure out the cause._  Aqualad's calm voice came through as he dove into Gotham Bay from the docks, shuddering from the pollution. Robin chuckles.

_ Sorry Aqualad. I guess I should have warned you first. _

_Anyone else concerned that Baywatch never pays attention at mission briefings?_  Artemis mutters mentally, making her way to her next position.  _All clear here, by the way._

 _Hey! It's not my fault Bats likes to drone on and on during my snack time!_  Kid Flash defends as Artemis scoffs irritatedly.

 _Um. Guys? I sense something…_  Miss Martian chimes in, floating towards the back of a warehouse.

 _What do you sense Miss Martian?_  Aqualad asks, making his way back to the docks.

_ Not sure…but I've never encountered anything like this before…here or on Mars…I'm near the area now. I'll go check it out. _

_I'm coming with you._  Superboy adds, rushing off to meet up with the martian girl. The six gasp as a white flash engulfs the area, before everything seems to return to normal.

 _Miss Martian. Could you see what that was?_  Aqualad asks as he gets out of the water, slightly relieved to be out of the muck.

 _No. We were too far away. Superboy and I are almost there now-_  She gasps.

"You guys should get over here." Superboy states through the comm. link. The remaining four give their confirmation, and close in on their location. Miss Martian slowly approaches the prone figure dressed in a red tunic, black tights, green commando boots and gloves, and a yellow para-cape, with the hood over his head.

"He can't be older than fourteen…" She states sadly, kneeling down next to him, frowning at the boy's green domino mask. "The colors he's wearing…they're similar to Robin's…do you think-" The young boy stirs, groaning. The others arrive, and freeze at the sight.

"Do you think we should call Batman?" Kid Flash asks, eyeing the new costumed arrival.

"We do not yet know the situation. We will call Batman once we know more about the boy." Aqualad adds. Miss Martian goes to help the boy sit up, but he smacks her hand away. She flinches back as he eyes her shrewdly, before setting his sights to the rest of the team.

"Where's Batman?" 

"Let's start off with who you are." Robin asks suspiciously, frowning at the new costumed teen. 

"It's not important." The boy snaps, trying to stand shakily. "I need to find my Batman."

"You had someone else with you? Someone dressed like Batman? Were you coming from a party?" Aqualad steps forward, trying to make sense of the situation.

"No, you twat! He's already injured and could be dying by now! Are you going to make yourselves useful by helping me find him or are you just going to stand around all night?" The boy snaps, staggering past Aqualad.

"Wait! You're hurt!" Miss Martian catches him as he collapses. "What's your name?"

"Robin." All six of the teenager's eyes widen in shock as the air grows tense. "Now, are you going to help me or not?" Aqualad turns to Robin.

"Call Batman." Robin nods numbly, tapping his comm link to get a hold of his mentor as the stranger struggles in Miss Martian's grasp.

"Unhand me! I have to find that idiot!" He winces before passing out. The teenagers sigh with relief, glad they no longer had to fight off the young boy, who happened to be stronger than he looked. Robin turns to the others, eyeing their new charge wearily.

"Bats said he'll be here in a minute tops. Superboy, can you hear anyone else's heartbeats in the area? Just to make sure he's the only one here." Superboy frowns.

"No. It's just the seven of us. Maybe the kid hit it head?" Robin's eyebrows knit together in concentration.

"I don't think so. I didn't see any blood when he was flailing around. First things first. We need to get that utility belt away from him in case he wakes up." The others nod in agreement. Miss Martian sighs, brushing some of their hair out of the unconscious boy's face. Where did he come from?


	2. Awakening

 

The strange new Robin stirs, gauging his surroundings. His eyes narrow, taking in the white, sterile, feel of the room. He was in a hospital.

"Time to go." He grumbles, about to hop off the bed, only to be restrained by something.

"Ah, I see you're awake, finally." His head snaps up at the familiar, annoying voice. Kid Flash grins at him brightly. The new Robin's mood instantly sours, and he scowls at the hyper redhead, tugging at the thick leather straps bounding his arms to the side rails of the bed.

"Release me this instant, West!" Kid Flash pales as a dark menacing shadow steps forward, along with an all too familiar little bird.

"You're in no position to be making demands." The Bat towers over the bed as the rambunctious teen huffs defiantly.

"Your intimidation techniques have no effect on me, nor have they ever."

"Who are you?" Batman hisses, quickly losing patience. "Why do you know Kid Flash?" Robin looks up to his mentor worriedly, only to receive a warm, reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I already told the green woman. I take it she's martian? Strange…I wasn't aware any other martians besides Manhunter survived."

"What's the last thing you remember?" The Bat presses as the teenager strapped to the bed sighs.

"Lose the audience, and I may be more willing to talk." Kid Flash's face falls. "The bird may stay." Robin smirks as Kid Flash's eyes widen, looking scandalized.

" Not even an alternate Robin likes you, KF. That's just sad." Robin snickers as Kid Flash elbows him in the ribs.

"Dude!  _So_  not cool!"

"Kid Flash. Don't you have a mission report to finish? I expect it typed up and sent to me by morning." Batman states calmly. The ginger pales, quickly disappearing out the door as Robin cackles.

"Hah! He falls for that every time…I take it you haven't told him that you don't actually read what he writes?" The Bat raises an eyebrow. "I take that as a no." Their new charge scoffs.

"It seems some things never change…" He grumbles. "Now, on a more important matter: I must find my Batman."

"Before we can help you, we need to know everything."

"I don't have time for that, father!" The teenager explodes, thrashing against the restraints desperately as the dynamic duo freeze. "He's the only family I have left! The only one who…who actually  _cares_! That freak Warp ruined  _everything_! My Batman is a better  _man_  than you'll ever be! And if he dies because of you, I'll make you regret it!" The stranger freezes, his eyes stinging. "And now you've poisoned me!" Robin approaches him slowly, ruffles the stranger's short ebony hair.

"That's called crying…" The boy scoffs. "I take it you've never done that before…" The boy sniffles, looking away, but makes no move to get away from the comforting hand. "Well...since I'm technically Robin…what else can we call you?"

"You're just like him…" The alternate Robin whispers. The current Boy Wonder cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"What?"

"Nevermind. And you may call me Damian…but don't even think about trying to give me a nickname!" Robin smirks.

"Of course not~! Nice to meet you, Damian! So, who's your Batman?" The Dark Knight puts a restraining hand on his adoptive son's shoulder. Robin deflates slightly, taking a step back beside his mentor.

"More importantly, why did you call me father?" Damian looks away defiantly.

"No reason. And don't think I'm going to apologize for earlier. Now, since we've established that I'm not a threat to you, or that sad excuse of a team; I demand to be released and have my belt returned to me."

"You're not getting the belt back until we can validate your claims." Damian huffs, slumping back in bed. Robin eyes him wearily.

"Can't we at least get rid of the restraints?"

"I don't need a babysitter." Damian growls.

"Fine. New mission: you and the team will watch  _Damian_. Make sure he doesn't try anything."

"You  _do_ realize I can hear you, don't you?" Robin's jaw drops in shock.

"What? I didn't mean for  _us_  to watch him!"

"Too late." The Dark Knight whisks out of the room and the two birds stare at each other awkwardly.

"So…um…want to meet the team?"

"I already know West and Kent. The rest I have no need to know." Robin looks away uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head.

"Well…we don't exactly know how long you're going to stay here..so…" Damian's eyes narrow dangerously.

"I'm not staying as your captive. I was trained by the League of Assassins, and the best acrobat known to man. It will be simple to break out of your feeble security." Robin blinks.

"You were trained by who? Are you sure you're a  _hero_  in your universe?" Damian rolls his eyes as Robin undoes the ex assassins' restraints.

"Nevermind. Is there a kitchen in this facility? It's been far too long since I've eaten." Robin beams.

"Of course! You should try Megan's cookies! They're totally asterous!"

"It seems as though you  _still_  manage to butcher to English language, Grayson." Robin stiffens, his hand twitching towards his utility belt.

"You know who I am?"

"Tt. I'm not an idiot. The similarities between you two are astounding. It almost makes me sick." Dick shifts uncomfortably, relaxing slightly.

"Um…so…I take it you two are close?"

"I believe you were going to take me to the kitchen."

"….Right." The original Boy Wonder sighs, leading the way into the main hall of Mount Justice.

* * *

Two dirty, playful boys run through the streets, giggling mischievously from their last score. "I can't believe we got away with  _four_  apples this time! It's the score of the century!" The younger of the two grins, holding up their winnings. "The shop owner sure looked angry, huh Luke?" The elder boy nods, smirking.

"No one can catch the Alcman Brothers!" The two laugh, heading down the filthy alleys of Gotham, when the younger brother pauses. "You see something, Billy?" The young boy nods slowly, approaching a lump of bloodied black cloth.

"What do you think it is?" The mass of fabric groans, flopping over bonelessly, as the two boys jump. "OhmyGod! It's alive!" Luke takes a hesitant step forward, eyeing the figure cautiously. His eyes widen in recognition.

"It's….it's Batman!" Billy gasps, hiding behind his twelve-year-old brother.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know!" The ten-year-old peers out from behind his older brother.

"He's…not moving…"

"I think he's hurt."

"We should help him." Luke whirls around to face his brother in shock.

"What, are you kidding? We're thieves!"

"He'll understand…we can't just leave him to die!" The elder thief sighs, eying the figure wearily.

"Fine. We'll take him to the hideout. But we need a first-aid-kit." Billy grins innocently.

"We know of plenty of places to get one." Luke smirks.

"That's the spirit!" The two boys rush over to their new 'patient', and each take a side, starting to slowly drag the battered Bat away.


	3. Cookies Solve Everything. Not.

Four of the remaining team members look up from their position on the sofa as their bird and the newcomer approach. The aroma of chocolate chip cookies in the air signaled that Megan was in the kitchen. The Atlantian gets up, and curiously moves towards the duo.

"Batman has released him?" Aqualad asks. Robin smiles wearily.

"Well….not exactly…" Wally jumps off the sofa, his arms flailing about animatedly.

"Don't tell me we're on babysitting duty!" Damian's eyes narrow.

"I'm not a child!"

"Well you certainly act like one!" The ginger exclaims as the alternate Robin rolls his eyes.

" _Please_. Even as an adult in my universe, you are the most immature person I have ever met."

"You don't even know me!"

"You're pretty transparent to me, Kid Dork." Artemis grumbles, only to receive a glare from the fiery speedster. Kaldur steps between the two, trying to ease the tension now forming rapidly in the room.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves? You clearly already know Robin and Wally. I'm Kaldur." He gestures towards the archer on the sofa, who was smirking in unspoken victory. "That is Artemis." The Atlantian then signals towards Superboy.

"Connor Kent." Damian states boredly. "He's in my universe as well. Undoubtedly the lover to that idiot Drake." Superboy twitches, standing up from the sofa. His hands clench as he glares at the smaller boy.

"What did you just say?" Damian smirks hotly, taking a step forward.

"Hm. The Kent I know has far more self control. You must be newly created." Dick chuckles nervously.

"Well, anyway, the 'green woman' as you so  _kindly_  dubbed her, is Megan. Guys, this is Damian." Said boy eyes his counterpart curiously.

"They don't know your identity?" Dick looks away.

"No…it's a Bat-rule. Hardly anyone knows my ID, and I tend to keep it that way." He gives Damian a meaningful look, which doesn't go by unnoticed by the team.

"Wait. This  _twerp_  knows your identify and we don't? How is that fair!" Wally marches up to his best friend, who shrinks back slightly. Damian steps in front of Robin protectively, glaring up at the sixteen-year-old.

"Don't talk to him like that. And I'm not a twerp, dickface." The other teens stare at the boy in shock as Megan cheerfully makes her way into the den, holding a tray of freshly baked cookies.

"They're just out of the oven, so be careful!" She pauses, sensing the tense atmosphere. "Um…did I miss something?" Damian walks up to Megan, taking a cookie

"It's about time. Some hosts you lot are. Letting your gust starve to death." Dick was the first to unfreeze as the boy takes a bite of the gooey deliciousness.

"Damian. We need to talk.  _Now_." Damian frowns, taking another cookie.

"Fine. But these so called 'asterous' cookies you talked about are mediocre at best." He snatches several more treats, before following the fuming bird out of the room.

* * *

Once out of earshot, Dick spins to face Damian, crossing his arms. "You can't act like that in front of them!"

"Act like what?"

"You're such a pompous little brat!" Damian grins viciously.

"I take that as a compliment, seeing as I come from a royal bloodline."

"Whatever! Just…try to tone down the arrogance?" The ex-assassin eyes him skeptically before grinning.

"I'm finally taller than you." Dick blinks, taken aback.

"….What?"

"Nothing. Just a simple observation. As for your earlier request, it is denied. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to find my partner, and get home." Dick sighs, massaging his temples irritatedly.

"Fine. I get that you can't be nice. But can you at least be civil?" Damian stuffs another cookie into his mouth.

"I'll consider it. But it's highly unlikely." Dick growls.

"You're infuriating."

"As are you Grayson…you have no idea." With that, Damian turns on his heel, and walks off.

"Little D! Wait!" Damian freezes, a chill running up his spine.

"Don't call me that." He hisses as Dick frowns.

"What's wrong with that nickname?"

"You're not  _my_  Grayson. Only  _my_  Grayson can get away with calling me that with no fear of a slow and painful death." The acrobat takes a step back from the violent aura coming off from the other Robin. He holds his hands up in defense.

"Whoa! I didn't mean to strike a nerve! I'm just trying to ease the tension!"

"Well don't." Damian starts walking off again, faster than last time.

"Wait! Where are you going?" The bird ignores him defiantly before disappearing around the corner. Dick sighs heavily. "Great…Bats is gonna kill me." Wally walks up, looking guilty. "What now? Please tell me you don't have bad news? Because I totally can't handle that right now."

"No…It's just…I'm sorry about earlier…if I didn't make a scene, the others would know that I knew your ID." Dick shrugs.

"It's fine. I knew you were just going with the flow."

"So…you're not mad?" The speedsters' mood starts to brighten, seeing a glimmer of hope.

"Not at you, no. Just, don't let Damian get to you. He likes to pick fights."

"I can tell…"

* * *

The two thieves manage to drag the battered Batman into their 'hideout', which was really an old, blue Victorian style house that was abandoned and had been in foreclosure for years in the historic district of Gotham. Billy looks to Luke expectantly. "So…now what? We can't take his costume off…that's practically sacrilegious!" Luke raises an eyebrow.

"Where did you even learn that word?"

"I read newspapers sometimes! There's nothing else to do when you go off on a 'dangerous' gig!" The Dark Knight groans, slowly regaining consciousness. The brothers stiffen, looking over to the hero.

"R-Robin?" Batman slurs, trying to sit up. The brothers looks at each other before Luke takes a step forward.

"No uh, Batman Sir…" The caped crusader glances over at them groggily.

"Where's…Robin?"

"Um…we're not sure?" The Bat tries to get up, before falling back down weakly. Billy frowns, poking at the slumped form curiously.

"Hm…he's more hurt than we thought…you think one of Arkham's community got to him?" Luke shrugs.

"Who knows…" The elder brother gets up, and starts rummaging through their stash. "We should really bandage that wound in his chest though…maybe check for other wounds as well…the last thing we need is a dead Bat on our hands." Billy nods enthusiastically before dashing up to his brother to help him look for medical supplies.

 


	4. Liar, Liar

Dick pauses, hearing rapid typing coming from the monitor room. He peers in quietly, seeing Damian glaring at the wall-sized screen intently. "Damian? What are you doing?" The ex-assassin stiffens, not bothering to look back at the intruder.

"What you and Father refuse to do. I'm finding my partner." Dick blinks, eyeing Damian curiously.

"Why do you keep calling Bats 'father'?" The arrogant teen looks up at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Because he is. My full name is Damian Wayne." Dick's jaw drops. "I am the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul." The acrobat pales, taking a step back.

"W-what? No way! Does Bruce know?" Damian rolls his eyes under his domino mask, turning back towards the computer.

"Of course he knows. Who do you think we're talking about here?"

"True…but…if Bruce isn't your Batman…then…who is?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself, Grayson." Dick sighs, leaning over the chair, resting his chin lightly on the headrest. "Do you not understand the concept of personal space?"

"Someone's grumpy" The younger bird grumbles, looking up at the screen. "Any luck?"

"….No. He should have his tracker on, but I can't locate the signal…the only way that would have happened is if something happened to him." Dick frowns.

"There's no other way to track him?"

"I can't pick up any signals from him…" Damian looks down. "If one of the Gotham villains found him first…" He trails off, clutching onto the keyboard helplessly. "He would have found me by now…and I can't do anything!" Dick puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

"We'll find him, Damian…he's Batman. I'm sure he's alright."

"You don't know that for sure! His wound could already be infected! It's my fault he's hurt in the first place! That bullet was meant for  _me_!" The acrobat sighs, pulling Damian out of the chair and into a hug.

"Don't worry. I'll call Bats and we'll start looking for him right away with the team, ok?"

"And if he denies your request?" Dick smirks.

"When has that ever stopped a 'Robin'?" The corners of Damian's mouth twitch upwards slightly.

"Very well, Grayson." He glances over, grinning smugly at the ginger in the doorway staring at them in shock. Damian hugs Dick back, relishing in the look of rage that passes over the speedsters' face before letting go. "Contact Batman. I'll continue working to see what I can turn up." Dick nods, happy with his fellow Robin's good mood, before turning to leave. He freezes, seeing Kid Flash glaring at them before storming off.

"What's his problem?"

"He probably needs to go get that stick out of his ass."

"Damian! Don't cuss!" Damian rolls his eyes, before sitting back down fluidly and typing again. Dick shakes his head, walking out to meet with the rest of the team in the living room. They look up as he arrives. Kaldur shares a look with the rest of the team before standing up.

"Robin. We need to talk about 'Damian'." Dick eyes them all carefully, frowning at the broody speedster in the corner.

"Sure…what's up?"

"Why don't you ask him out already?" Kid Flash rages, crossing his arms. "It's obvious that you two like each other! I mean, there's a reason he only listens to  _you_!" The bird's eyes widen in shock.

"What the hell, KF! It's nothing like that! He's like a little brother! What's your problem?"

"Nothing!" Kid Flash stalks off and Kaldur sighs heavily.

"I am sorry about that…that wasn't what we wanted to talk to you about…Wally has been in a rather foul mood all morning."

"And that's not like him! He even turned down my brownies!" Megan exclaims worriedly. Conner rolls his eyes.

"Just leave him be. We are more concerned about the twerp. Have you heard anything from Batman?" Dick sighs.

"Not yet…I'm about to call him though…if Batman refuses to help Damian, can we please help him look for his partner? I mean, how would you feel if you were trapped in another universe and your mentor was missing?" Kaldur looks at the others, trying to gauge the reactions. Artemis shrugs.

"Sure. Anything to get out of here for a while. I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy. I may not want to help the little brat, but maybe once we find his Batman, he'll be less pissy." Megan nods.

"I want to help him too. He seems so lost…" Dick grins as Kaldur nods in agreement.

"I think it would be beneficial if we helped him as well. It will be a good team building exercise."

"Awesome! I'll go call Batman! Thanks guys!" He beams brightly before disappearing.

* * *

Wally walks back into the monitor room, fuming when he sees Damian spin around to face him conceitedly. "May I help you, West?"

"Stay away from Dick!"

"What are you? His keeper?" The ginger blushes slightly.

"No! It's nothing like that! I'm just his best friend! I know your game. You're just manipulating him to get what you want." Damian raises an eyebrow, rising up from the chair gracefully and stalking over to him.

"And what would that be?"

"I'm not convinced that you're one of the good guys in your universe. I won't let you taint our Robin so he can participate in your evil ways!"

"You know nothing of my universe, let alone everything Grayson and I have been through. Currently, your moodiness is only adding to his stress. I can't have that." Wally's eyes narrow as he towers over Damian menacingly.

"Stay away from him. Last warning."

"No." The redhead growls, slamming him against the wall.

"I won't let you hurt him!" Damian smirks darkly, grabbing the speeders' wrist. He spins him around, pinning it behind his back, and slams Wally's face into the wall roughly before the ginger can even blink.

"Grayson is, and always will be  _mine_." The alternate Robin hisses in his ear before walking off assertively. Wally glares after him before punching the wall in frustration. Just who was this kid?

* * *

Batman stirs again, tensing at the two wide-eyed children staring at him curiously, standing inches away from him. "Who are you?" The brothers beam, stepping back to give him room to move.

"I'm Billy!" The younger chirps, then points to his brother. "And this is Luke. We found you in an alley in pretty bad shape, Mr. Batman, Sir." Batman frowns, sitting up weakly.

"You shouldn't really try to move yet. We tried to clean the bullet wound in your chest, but it looks like it's already starting to get infected." Luke states, starting to put away the medical supplies. "We gave you some Tylenol. Sorry we couldn't find anything stronger."

" 'S fine." The Bat leans back against the wall, eyeing them curiously. "Where are we? And where did you get all the medical supplies?" The brothers share a look before Billy laughs nervously.

"Oh you know…around. Anyway~! What happened? Two Face? Joker? Hatter?" Batman frowns, rubbing his head absently.

"Warp. Then fell from a building. Not fun…at least it was only two stories." The Dark Knight shifts uncomfortably, adding cracked ribs to the list of injuries in his head.

"Hm…we've never heard of Warp. Must be a new one."

"Kind of….thank you boys for picking me up before anyone from Arkham found me…can I ask you to do me a favor though?" The brothers grin widely.

"Of course, Sir!"

"Find Robin. My comm link was crushed in the fall."

"Aye, aye!" They chirp.

"We get to be like your secret agents!" Billy cheers as the Bat chuckles weakly.

"Something like that." The boys freeze.

"Holy crap! The Bat laughed! I think the world is going to end!" Billy laments dramatically. Luke smacks the back of his head.

"It's probably just his head wound, idiot. We should start to find Robin so he can get  _actual_  medical attention."

"Ok…yeah…how are we going to find him in Gotham? Besides, it's daytime! They only come out at night!" Luke smirks.

"What's the best way you can think of to get the attention of a bird or bat?" Billy stares at him blankly before grinning.

"Oh! This is going to be good!" They glance back at their charge, seeing him unconscious again.

"He doesn't have to know how we get his partner, so long as we get him."

"You're a genius, brother!"

* * *

"Did you find out anything about him?" Dick asks curiously, staring at his mentor on his communicator.

"Not much. Only that there is, in fact, a villain named Warp. Though, the traveling through universes is new. Normally, he only travels through time. Did you find anything out on your end?" Dick smiles sheepishly.

"Well….his full name is Damian Wayne. His mother is Talia al Ghul." Bruce's eyes narrow.

"How accurate is this information?"

"Well, I found out from him…but he sure does at like an al Ghul, don't you agree?" Bruce nods minutely. "Are we going to help him or not?"

"I am still working on scanning the area that you and your team found him. I'm seeing if I can find a similar energy signature elsewhere to verify his claims of coming here with someone else."

"Alright…he's getting impatient though…"

"Your job is to keep him distracted until-"

"I know, I know…later, B." Dick flips his communicator shut, running a hand over his face. "How the hell am I supposed to keep him busy?"

* * *

Megan pauses, seeing Damian walk up to her. "Green Woman." She blinks, looking around to try to see who he was talking to. "Yes, you."

"U-Um…my name's Megan…"

"Irrevelent. Do you have any more cookies?" She instantly brightens.

"Oh! Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat! We have brownies too!"

"Very well." The martian beams, flying to the fridge and peers inside.

"Do you like spaghetti?"

"Anything substantial will do. Cookies do not make a good nutritional supplement." She blinks.

"Um…ok!" Megan starts levitating ingredients out of the fridge and pantry as Artemis strolls over.

"So, kid-"

"I'm fourteen. That hardly constitutes as a child."

"…Right. Sorry. So…only Baywatch and Conner are in your universe?" He raises an eyebrow, turning to face her.

"Who is 'Baywatch'?" The archer smirks.

"Wally." He snickers.

"Ah. Yes, unfortunately. Kent is tolerable, as is Robin. West is far too hyper for my taste. I don't understand how Robin puts up with him."

"Robin is the leader in your universe?" Kaidur asks curiously, making his way to the kitchen as well.

"…Sort of. Some of you may be in my universe, but you are older."

"Oh...is your Batman the same as ours?" Artemis asks, leaning against the island counter casually as Conner makes his way into the kitchen as well, not wanting to be left out.

"No." Their eyes widen.

"Really?" Damian frowns.

"Did I stutter?" Kaldur steps forward, trying to ease the tension.

"So, Damian. What is your Batman like?" The bird seemed to deflate at the question, much to the Atlantian's relief.

"Reliable. He is loyal, and has unbelievable patience and tolerance towards others. He is the leader of the New Justice League, and well-respected. His skills are undeniable and unquestioned. He may not be the first Batman, but in all honesty, I could not ask for a better partner. He will hold the mantel until I am ready to inherit my birthright as Batman." Megan pauses stirring the noodles and smiles warmly as the serene expression on his face.

"You love him…don't you?" Damian freezes, his expression instantly souring.

"Hardly. If you tell him or anyone else any of this, I'll slaughter you in your sleep." Artemis giggles, ruffling his hair as he swats her hand away furiously.

"He's so cute! He doesn't want to admit it!"

"Silence! I am not 'cute'!" Conner cocks his head to the side.

"How is someone so angry and aggressive 'cute'?"

"He tries so hard to hide his feelings. It's adorable how he's too embarrassed to say how much he loves his mentor!" Megan squealed. Damian clenches his fist, glaring at the archer darkly.

"I'm not hiding my feelings! I don't love anyone! Love is for the weak minded!" Kaldur puts a hand on Artemis'' shoulder.

"Let us not provoke him any longer." She crosses her arms, rolling her eyes. Megan beams, draining the noodles.

"All done~! Let's have dinner!" Dick walks in, and beams.

"Sweet! Perfect timing!" Damian instantly turns to the other bird.

"What's the word?" The acrobat sighs.

"He's still working on things. But he is, in fact, trying to track down your partner."

"Perfect. We should head to Gotham and await his call." Kaldur frowns.

"I do not think that is wise. We should wait for his call here."

"I'm not going to sit around here and waste time I could spend looking for him."

"Just eat first. I'm sure you're starving. We can't have you passing out, now can we?" Dick states, setting a plate of spaghetti in front of his fellow bird. He smirks as Damian silently starts eating, ignoring the acrobat. Megan giggles.

"So cute~!"

"Silence!" Damian rages, flinging a forkful of pasta at her. She squeaks, stopping it with her telekinesis before it hit her. Conner glares at the young teen.

"Don't throw stuff at her! Especially after she just cooked for you!" Damian rolls his eyes.

"Tt. I'm only eating because I'm famished. This is just barely edible." Artemis snorts.

"Whatever. Megan's become a great cook. You're just incapable of giving compliments."

"Hardly. I speak only truth." Dick cackles his signature laugh, taking a seat across from the other bird with a plate for himself.

"Keep telling yourself that."


	5. Bird Boy

 

**Gotham City, Crime Alley: December 20. 12:30am.**

"Haven't seen the Boy Blunder around recently…you think something happened to him? The Bat has been in a less than thrilled mood recently." A thug dressed in Two Face's half black, half white suit and tie grumbles to another one of his buddies in a similar outfit.

"I hope not. You saw what happened when the boss nearly offed the kid. The Bat put him in a body cast for six months!" Another man sits down next to them at the table in the bar. Unlike the others, this one was wearing clown makeup.

"No kidding. When boss Joker beat him half to death with a crowbar, the result was about the same…the boss still messes with the bird, but I just think it's because he's insane." The other two nod in agreement.

"Speaking of the bird…I may have a job for you scumbags…if you're up for it, that is." The thugs glare up at the new voice. They instantly frown, seeing a twelve-year-old boy smirking at them.

"The hell are you talking about kid? Why don't you go run home to mommy?" The first Two Face thug sneers, taking a swig of beer. The boy's gaze darkens.

"She dumped me out on the streets years ago. I have no need for that whore. Now, do you lazy bastards want to get paid, or what?" They blink, looking up at him skeptically.

"What kind of money could you possibly have, kid?" The Joker thug asks, leaning back in his chair casually. The young boy merely grins.

"I have my ways. How I got your payment is unnecessary, don't you agree? Now, do you want work or not?" The three share a look before looking back up at the child.

"Sure kid. Why not? Our boss's are locked up in Arkham." The second Two Face thug states.

"Perfect." The child chuckles, taking a seat with the adults. "Here's the plan."

* * *

**Mount Justice, Happy Harbor: December 20. 8am.**

The seven teens all gather in the kitchen, sitting down for breakfast, courtesy of Megan. Dick glances over at the speedster, his eyebrows kitting at the stony expression on his best friend's face.

"Wally-" The holo-screen pops up with an image of Batman, in all his broody glory.

"Team. I have a mission for you. Joker just escaped from Arkham. I will be pursuing him. However, there is another incident at Wayne Enterprise Bank." A map pops up next to his form as the teens make their way over to get a better look. "It looks suspicious." The security feed pops up as well, showing the break in. "It was done by what appears to be the lackeys of Two Face and Joker. Two Face is still in Arkham so it is still unclear if the two villains are working together. Find out what is going on and apprehend the criminals. Proceed with caution. I just sent Robin the coordinates." Dick types quickly on his holo-glove, nodding in confirmation.

"Bats, wait. What are we doing about Damian?" He asks, glancing back at the other Robin, who was currently taking in all the details on the screen.

"Take him with you. Make sure he stays on the Bio-ship. You leave in five minutes." The screen goes black before any of them could argue. The team looks back at Damian, who was glaring darkly.

"I am not staying behind like some child!" Dick sighs.

"Sorry, Damian. After the mission, how about we look for your mentor for a little bit?" The ex-assassin glowers, crossing his arms.

"….Very well." Kaldur sighs with relief, happy they didn't have to fight the disgruntled teen.

"Alright. Everyone suit up and meet in the hanger." The team disperses, except for Dick, who was already in costume. Damian eyes him critically.

"Do you always wear your costume?" The acrobat cackles.

"Hardly. It's been too quiet recently. I had a feeling we would have a mission today." He shrugs. "Now, why don't we wait for the others in the hanger?"

"Fine." The two birds head off silently in a way only someone trained by the Bat could do.

"Race you there!" Dick suddenly exclaims, taking off into a sprint.

"Tt. You're such a child." Damian takes off after him, smirking ever so slightly.

* * *

**Gotham City: December 20. 8:30am.**

_Mindlink is established._  The soft voice resonates in the six teen's mind as they exit the cloaked ship a block away from the bank.

 _Robin and Miss Martian. Head to the bank and assess the situation. Artemis, take a position on the rooftop adjacent for a vantage point to provide cover if needed. Superboy, Kid Flash, and I will head to the back of the building and wait to breach and be ready to provide backup if necessary._  The other five heroes confirm and head off to their positions. Robin grapples onto the rooftop of the bank as Miss Martian turns invisible, heading in through the side door quietly. The Boy Wonder pulls up blueprints of the building on his holo-glove, starting to head towards where the criminals were.

 _Robin. There are three in the lobby holding the hostages with semiautomatic guns. I think I hear another one in the back offices._ The martian's voice echo's in the bird's head.

 _Just took out the security system. This should be a total cake walk! I'm going to check to check out those back offices to subdue the other one you heard._  Robin peers through the air vent to the bank manager's office. His eyes narrow, seeing a figure dressed in torn, dirty clothes wearing a scarecrow mask.  _I got another one, Miss M. But this one is in Scarecrow garbs…what are the thugs of three different villains doing here?_

_ No idea. Do you want me to come help you? _

_Nah. I'm going to have a little conversation with him to figure things out. I'll be back with you in a second. Stay hidden._  Robin silently removes the grate to the air vent and reaches into his belt, pulling out a smoke pellet.

_ Be careful, and stay in touch. _

_Will do._  He drops the pellet, filling the room with smoke as the thug looks around frantically, coughing. The bird hops down, and slams the unsuspecting crook against the wall. "Why are all of you working together?" The boy, who was finally catching his breath as the smoke clears, chuckles darkly.

"Gotcha." Robin's eyes widen as he spins around, just a second too late. A metal baseball bat connects with the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. The criminal laughs, looking over to the smaller boy, wearing a similar mask. "Mission accomplished. Let's bag him and get him out of here." The younger criminal nods, helping his counterpart quickly load the unconscious bird into a large money bag.

 _Aqualad! I've just lost contact with Robin! I just checked the last area that I had heard from him, and he's not there!_  Miss Martian panics, flying through the hallways quickly.

 _Artemis, have you seen anything?_  Aqualad asks, making his way into the back of the building with Superboy and Kid Flash.

"No! I haven't seen anything! How the hell did they pull one over on us? They're just lowlife crooks!" The archer shouts in aggravation into her comm link. "I have a clear shot of the gunmen. I'll take them out."

 _Good. We'll take one back for questioning. Superboy, Kid Flash. Spread out and search the rest of the bank. I'll head to the lobby._  The speedster nods, disappearing as the clone takes off in the opposite direction. Artemis nocks three knockout arrows, carefully taking aim at the criminals standing around the main lobby without a care in the world. With a satisfied smirk, she releases the arrows, each successfully hitting their targets in the head. The thugs collapse just as the Atlantian makes his way into the room. He looks over at the terrified hostages and smiles comfortingly.

"Do not worry. You are all safe now." They all quickly run out of the bank, to safety as Aqualad ties up the ex-gunmen. He hauls one of them up, the one with the clown makeup, and starts dragging him out of the bank.  _Has anyone found Robin?_

 _No. I can't sense him anywhere either!_  The concerned voice of Miss Martian comes through first.

 _I searched every square inch of this place and there's no sign of Rob. How the hell did whoever took him get him out so fast without any of us noticing?_  Kid Flash rages, meeting up with Aqualad outside. "I take it we're leaving the other thugs for the cops?" The Atlantian nods, looking back at the bank in concern.

_ I scanned the place with my infrared vision. There's no one else here. _

"I am starting to think that this whole job was a ruse to capture Robin." Kid Flash looks to Aqualad in shock. "It was far too well planned out."

"It took you  _that_  long to figure it out? Tt. Some leader  _you_  are." Aqualad and Kid Flash quickly turn to face the scowling Damian.

"You're supposed to be on the ship! Apparently you can't follow orders!" The ginger growls, crossing his arms. "Rob is missing! We don't have time for your-"

"Do you want to argue or find your teammate?" The hostile bird snatches the unconscious criminal in Aqualad's arms. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to get some answers out of him. Useless twats." He drags the thug off, grumbling profanities in Arabic on the way to the ship as the two remaining teens stare after him warily.

"You think this is such a good idea, Kal?" Kid Flash asks as Aqualad sighs.

"I do not think we have much of a choice…"


	6. Found

The Young Justice team boards the bio-ship and blink, seeing Damian at the main console, typing rapidly as the thug cowers fearfully in the corner. "What did you do to him? We're not supposed to traumatize criminals!" Kid Flash growls, making a move to drag the bird away from the computer.

"I did nothing to him. Merely had a little conversation with him. Now, would you like to find out what I learned?" Aqualad steps forward, looking up at the screen.

"Though I may not agree with your methods, considering the state of the criminal, we need to know what you find out." Damian rolls his eyes as Miss Martian tries to calm the thug down in the corner.

"Apparently they were hired by some kid. This particular lackey recognized the child as a Luke Alcman. He is a notorious thief along with his younger brother, Billy. Hideout is unknown. Motive is unknown."

"Well that's helpful." The redhead grumbles sarcastically, crossing his arms. Miss Martian escorts the criminal off the ship in order to place him with the others for Gotham PD to collect.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, West. I am currently triangulating their known hot spots to try to find a location. Though why they would want Robin, I have yet to figure out."

"So much for knowing everything." Artemis smirks, taking a seat to watch the fourteen-year-old work.

"I never said I would not figure it out. I don't see you twats doing anything productive. It's your fault one of your own was taken."

"We didn't know! And Rob can handle himself just fine!" The ginger fumes. Superboy hangs back boredly.

"Just let him work. Clearly he knows what he's doing. The sooner he finishes, the sooner we can find Robin." He states, making his way over to his seat as well. Kid Flash huffs, following suit. The screen starts beeping and Damian smirks.

"Got them. It's a rather large location, so we'll have to spread out and search the area."

"You're not the leader!" The speedster seethes. Aqualad sighs as Miss Martian returns to the ship, taking her seat at the controls.

"His plan is a good one. We will follow it. Our top priority is getting Robin back safely."

* * *

The two boys drop the bag containing their catch before pulling the scarecrow masks off with a smirk. Billy heads over to the bundle, poking it curiously. "We should probably take him out before he wakes up, don't you think?"

"It would be bad if Batman saw that we kidnapped his bird." Luke makes his way over to his brother and opens the bag. They both dump Robin onto the ground, who groans. "Go wake up the Bat. I'll take care of the bird." Billy nods, scampering off to the next room as his brother prods the bird in the side. "Time to wake up, Bird Boy." Robin tenses, looking up at the boy cautiously. He quickly looks around, frowning at the fact that he wasn't tied up.  _Why would they kidnap me and not make sure I couldn't escape?_

"What-"

"Sorry about the rough handling. We knew you wouldn't come otherwise. Follow me. Someone requested your presence." The acrobat sits up, glaring at his captor.

"Who are you? And who 'requested me presence'?" Luke rolls his eyes, starting to head for the next room.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Robin gets up, quickly reaching for his comm link. He curses, seeing that his kidnappers had taken it. Deciding to get on with the inevitable along with to ease his curiosity, he heads in the direction the boy just left. His eyes widen in horror when he sees who they were talking about.

"Batman!" He shouts in a panic, and runs up to the battered Bat. The Dark Knight stirs, looking up at the bird blearily.

"R-Robin?" The vigilante rasps out, trying to sit up higher.

"Hold on Bats. Don't move just yet." Robin quickly asses the Bat's injuries and pauses when he comes to the bandages on his chest. This Batsuit was different than his mentor's… _This must be Damian's Batman! He looks like hell. No wonder Damian was freaking out._  Batman looks up at him, and squints.

"Little D?" Robin freezes at the nickname, remembering Damian's words:  _"You're not_ _ **my**_ _Grayson. Only_ _ **my**_ _Grayson can get away with calling me that with no fear of a slow and painful death."_  The acrobat pales, his heart hammering in his chest. Robin's hand subconsciously reaches for Batman's cowl. He jumps, feeling a larger hand grab his. The Boy Wonder looks up, meeting the eyes of the alternate Batman and feels an odd sense of familiarity. "You're not my Robin."

"I'm afraid not. Don't worry. He's safe. I can take you to him." Batman visibly relaxes, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Thank you." The boys walk back in, having stepped out to give them some privacy.

"We did all we can for him, but the bullet wound in his chest is infected. We needed to get you as quickly as possible." Robin looks back at them and sighs.

"It's alright. You didn't have to kidnap me though! If you would have just told me, I would have come. We've been looking for him for days." The brothers looks away, their faces burning in shame.

"Sorry." They chime in unison, both looking at the ground. Robin sighs again, turning back to the alternate Bat and starts to haul him up. He staggers, but the brothers rush up to help him.

"Thanks. Mind helping me get him out of here?" The two instantly brighten, nodding fervently. The three slowly drag the Bat out of the old Victorian house, and down the block, starting to head back towards the bio-ship. Robin reaches for his holo-glove, sending out a distress signal for his team and the Justice League. The alternate Batman needed serious medical attention and fast.

* * *

"I'm picking up Robin's distress signal." Damian mutters, enlarging the coordinates for Miss Martian to see. Megan nods in acknowledgement, speeding up the ship. Within moments, the martian lands the ship, and the team runs off, heading for the signal. The ex-assassin freezes, seeing the three boys dragging the bloodied Bat down the street. "Batman!" Damian runs up to them, shoving the thief boys out of the way. "What did you do to him?"

"They helped him, Damian. Calm down. The League is on the way." Robin states calmly, trying to soothe the unnerved bird. Batman awakens again, slowly looking up at his Robin. The Dark Knight gives a weak, lopsided grin.

"Little D. I'm so glad you're alright…" Damian scoffs, looking over the Bat's injuries.

"Tt. Idiot. Of course I'm alright.  _You're_  the one who got shot." Megan takes a step forward, smiling softly.

"He was very worried about you." Pink dusts across Damian's cheeks as he glares back at her.

"I was not! I knew he was fully capable of handling himself." Batman chuckles before coughing roughly. He winces, clutching his chest painfully before going completely limp. Robin pales, feeling the body in his arms getting cold.

"No!" Dick lays the Dark Knight down on the ground, feeling for a pulse. "Kal, call the League again. He doesn't have a pulse!" Kaldur nods, quickly doing as told. Damian stares at his mentor in horror.

"No…no no no no! He can't! He promised me he would never leave me!" His eyes start to water, tears starting to slowly make their way down his cheeks. "NO!" He was about to run at the body, when a strong figure holds him back. Damian quickly glances back at the person holding him, to see a flash of red and blue. "Let me go Kent!" Superman frowns, holding the thrashing teen back as the other League members arrive, quickly making their way over to the Bat. "Damnit Grayson! You can't die! DICK!" Damian chokes on a sob as Robin and the other members of the League visibly stiffen. Wonder Woman shakily reaches down, and gently pulls the cowl off the alternate Batman. She gasps, easily recognizing him as the boy she has come to see as a son.

"Oh God! Clark! It's-" Batman appears next to her, scooping up the pale figure.

"I'm taking him to Watchtower." With that, the two Bats disappear in a flash of light. Superman's grip on the teen slackens, and Damian slips out , running over to the eldest thief boy. He tackles the boy to the ground, starting to punch him repeatedly in face in a fit of rage.

"This is all your fault! If he dies, I'll slaughter you both! You little shits!"

"Luke!" Billy shrieks, trying to yank the vengeful bird off his brother. "Leave him alone!" Robin hauls Damian off, pulling him into a tight hug as the teen continues to thrash, but less violently than before.

"It's alright….he's going to be alright." His breath catches as he starts to tremble. He slowly runs a hand through Damian's short ebony hair, trying to comfort him as well as himself. Damian stops struggling, clutching a fistful of the front of Robin's uniform for dear life. He breaks down into heart wrenching sobs, burring his face into the crook of Dick's neck.

"He's all I have…I can't lose him…"

"I know…it's going to be alright…B can save him…"  _I hope_. He didn't have the heart to say the last part aloud. Megan leans into Conner's shoulder, crying softly. He wraps his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Everyone's emotions were so overwhelming. With the way the League members were huddled in a circle, talking quickly and in hushed whispers, the look of shock on all of their faces…this Dick person must be very special to them…


	7. Reunited

Damian sits silently on the sofa of the Cave in Happy Harbor. His tears had dried up long ago, leaving him staring blankly at the floor. The ex-assassin's green domino mask had been removed revealing his deep, midnight blue eyes, full of agony and despair. Dick sits next to him, holding his hand, squeezing every so often to remind the other bird that he wasn't alone. It had been seven hours. Seven hours without a word from the League on the status of the alternate Bat. The rest of the team huddled in the kitchen, having a mental conversation, trying to figure out just what happened.

 _Why was the League so upset? Robin seems rather distraught as well…I don't think I've ever seen him this quiet._ The archer leans against the island countertop, staring at the two birds sadly.

 _They seem close._  Wally seethes, trying to concentrate on the bowl of Cheetos in front of him. The Atlantian sighs, taking a seat at one of the bar stools.

 _The only explanation is that Robin knows who this Dick person is…as soon as Damian said his name, Robin froze._ The clone nods in agreement, frowning.

_ Superman was upset…not to mention Batman seemed colder than usual. _

_The adults probably aren't going to tell us anything…and Robin being a statue is freaking me out…I hope we hear something soon._  Artemis thinks, glancing at the computer screen expectantly.  _It's already been so long…I just feel bad for the brat…I don't think I've ever seen this much emotion from him…it's unsettling to say the least._  A beeping from the computer causes all of them to perk up. Superman looks upon the teenagers uncomfortably.

"I'm beaming Damian and Robin up to Watchtower. We've managed to stabilize the other Batman, but he's still in pretty bad shape." Damian glances over at Superman numbly. Dick gets up, pulling the other bird along with him.

"Don't worry…he's alive." Dick squeezing the trembling boy's hand comfortingly. Damian nods minutely, refusing to look at the other bird before the two disappear into a flash of light.

* * *

Wonder Woman walks into the hospital room, and sighs, seeing Batman with his cowl off, sitting next to the unconscious Bat. The young man's costume had been removed, replaced with scrub pants. His chest was covered in thick white bandages with the slightest tinge of red. Bruce reaches out hesitantly, and gently brushes a stray ebony lock out of the man's face, carefully avoiding the bandages on his head.

"I should have found him sooner…If I would have known…I would have worked harder to find him…this is all my fault."

"Bruce. There was nothing you could have done. You had no idea…" Diana walks up to him, and pulls up a chair next to the billionaire.

"He may be from another universe…but he's still my  _son_. I could have searched harder." The Amazon Princess rests her head on his shoulder.

"You can't blame yourself for everything…what we should be worried about now, is finding the person who did this to him."

"Warp is  _my_  prey." The two heroes turn to see Damian standing in the doorway, his eyes trained on his mentor laying in the bed.

"You can't go after him alone." Robin states from behind him.

"Tt. I can do whatever the hell I want." Damian hisses, walking up to the bed quickly. "You're not the boss of me. The only person allowed to give me orders is unconscious." He reaches out, taking his mentor's hand, squeezing slightly. The alternate bird shifts his gaze to Bruce. "He'll live?"

"Yes…we had to revive him a couple of times, but the infection is completely gone now." Damian tenses.

"You should have listened to me! If you started looking when I asked you to, he wouldn't be in this condition!" He glares viciously. "You could have found him sooner if you hadn't wasted time trying to find out who the hell I was! I knew I should have just broken out and looked myself! Because of you, he-"

"Damian." The disgruntled bird freezes, looking down at his brother. Dick smiles weakly, his sky blue eyes warm, just like they always were. " 'S not his fault." The alternate Bat slurs, trying to sit up, but two pairs of hands push him down. Bruce and Damian hover over him worriedly.

"You fool! You'll open up your wounds!" Dick rolls his eyes.

"I've had worse." His head lulls back, due to the heavy painkillers. Dick smirks, chuckling softly. "You always did know the best cocktail of drugs, B." Robin makes his way in cautiously, his eyes never leaving his older counterpart. Dick glances over at him inquisitively. "Damn…I was so tiny! Didn't you ever feed me, Bruce?" Diana giggles as Bruce smiles softly; a smile reserved only for his bird.

"I guess I have to get Alfred to feed you more." The billionaire glances back at his Robin, who smirks.

"That's if you can convince him to let me have junk food!" Dick snorts.

"Good luck with that." Damian's eyebrows knit in concern as he curls up on the bed next to his older brother. "Don't worry Little D…I'll be alright." The alternate Bat shifts in the bed, wincing slightly, to make room for his little bird. He runs his hand through Damian's hair soothingly as the ex-assassin subconsciously leans into the touch.

"Don't ever do that again…idiot."

"Not planning on it." Dick kisses the top of his little brother's head, starting to drift off again. Robin moves closer, standing close beside Bruce, seeking comfort.

"Let's go home. It's been a long day." Bruce gets up, ruffling his bird's hair. Robin nods, following his adoptive father out of the room. Before they get to the zeta beam transporter, Robin hesitates, looking up at Bruce seriously.

"If  _he's_  Batman…that means…" He trails off, looking down. "Please don't leave me." The acrobat whispers, wringing his gloves anxiously. Bruce kneels down to his level, pulling him into a hug.

"I'll do everything I can to stay with you…I promise." Robin nods, sniffling. He clutches the front of his mentors' uniform. "You were so strong today…you took care of Damian…kept him from falling apart…"

"I had to…but the whole time…I couldn't help imagining what it would be like if it was  _you_  who was injured like that…" Bruce drapes his cape around his little bird, wishing he could protect him from the cruelness of the world.

"Try to focus on the present…Damian's mentor is going to be alright…you should get some rest…I'm going to start looking for Warp.  _No one_  messes with one of our own and gets away with it." He states darkly. Robin nods in agreement.

"He's going to pay. We should find him before Damian does, though. I have a feeling he won't want to stop at just locking him up."

"Agreed."


	8. Connecting the Dots

 

Damian stirs, looking around the room and frowns, noticing that he was cuddled up next to Dick on the bed. He gets up, trying not to jostle the bed to wake up his mentor. "And where do you think you're going?" The bird freezes, cringing, knowing that he had been caught. He slowly turns around, facing the fully awake Bat, who was smirking at him.

"You're not my keeper, Grayson."

"No. But you sneaking around makes me suspicious." Dick sits up in the bed, wincing slightly as he uses the pillows to prop himself up.

"Don't move, you idiot! The pain medication is wearing off." The alternate Bat rolls his eyes, reaching for the remote for the TV on the nightstand. He cringes, feeling the stitches straining, and clutches his chest. Damian growls something inaudible, stomping over to his older brother, and snatches the remote. "You're going to rip open that wound. Tt. You can't do anything by yourself, can you, Grayson?" Dick sighs heavily, taking the remote from the ruffled bird.

"I can do plenty by myself…I just hate being injured and on bed rest…it makes me antsy…" Damian scoffs, muttering something under his breath about hyper acrobats. "I heard that." The alternate Boy Wonder rolls his eyes, heading for the door.

"I'm heading to the cafeteria to get us some food. I'm not expecting much from this kind of facility, but you require nourishment. You're starting to become pale." With that, he walks out as Dick pouts, flopping back on the bed.

"He could have just said he was hungry…jeez."

* * *

Robin looks up at Bruce as Alfred bandages his head, from when he had been stuck with the baseball bat earlier. Bruce glances over to his ward from the Batcomputer curiously. Robin quickly looks away as the billionaire raises a questioning eyebrow. "Something on your mind, Dick?" The bird fidgets, playing with the string on the hoodie he had recently changed into.

"No."

"Dick."

"Ok, so maybe there is…" Bruce turns towards his adoptive son, signaling that he wanted his bird to elaborate. "Well…the team is probably really confused as to what is going on…"

"And you want to tell them." The detective concludes just as Alfred finishes bandaging the thirteen-year-old.

"I believe a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate is in order." Dick beams up at him as Bruce nods, smiling ever so slightly.

"Thanks Alfred."

"Of course, Master Bruce." The loyal butler heads up the hidden staircase as Bruce returns his full attention to Dick.

"Can I? I mean…I think they've earned the right by now…" The bat sighs, resting his elbows on his knees and sets his chin on top of his interlaced hands.

"Do you trust them?"

"Do  _you?_ " Bruce smirks.

"That's not what I asked." Dick kits his eyebrows, thinking over the question thoroughly.

"Yes." The Dark Knight leans back in the chair, dropping his hands.

"Then you have your answer. Now, let's go upstairs. You need to get to bed soon. It's been a long day." The young bird nods as Bruce ruffles his hair, before starting up the staircase to the manor.

* * *

**Mount Justice, Happy Harbor. December 21. 12:00pm**

The teens look over to the zeta beam transporter as the computer announces the arrival of their bird. Wally runs up to him first, tackling him in a bear hug. "We missed you, man! You never contacted us or anything after you went up to Watchtower!"

"Sorry…and can't breathe!" Robin mumbles, trying to wiggle out of his best friend's hold.

"So, how was Watchtower? I want all the details! You were in  _space_! That's so cool!" Artemis sighs, prying Wally off the bird.

"Give him some room, Kid Clingy. He just got here and probably still has a mild concussion." The redhead's eyes widen as he takes in the bandages on his best friend's head.

"OhmigodI'msoooosorryRobIdidn'tknow-" He rambles quickly, but Artemis and Robin smack the back of his head.

"Normal speed, Kid Idiot. We don't speak superspeed." The archer growls as Wally glares back at her. Robin clears his throat, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Um, guys? I'm sure you guys are super confused about yesterday…" Megan floats forward, concern written all over her face.

"Yes. That 'Dick Grayson' person seemed very important to the League…is he a hero in our world as well?" Robin smirks secretively.

"You could say that." Wally pauses his bickering with the archer to stare at his best friend in shock.  _Is he seriously going to do what I think he is?_  Robin meets eyes with him. Even behind the dark shades, the speedster knew the answer to that question. The acrobat takes off his sunglasses, looking up at his teammates with his brilliant sky blue eyes. "Name's Richard, 'Dick', Grayson. Nice to meet you." Five pairs of eyes widen in shock.

"No way! As in Dick Grayson, ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne?" Artemis shouts in astonishment. Dick grins, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet as he pockets the shades.

"The one and only. Guess things make more sense now." Conner steps forward curiously, eying the young teen critically.

"So…that man…was an older version of you?"

"Apparently…we're still trying to figure out which universe they came from. And finding Warp is our top priority…Bats is pissed…" The archer pauses, her jaw dropping.

"Oh my GOD! Batman is Bruce-freaking- _Wayne_! Holy crap! That means your parents-" Dick's expression instantly darkens.

"I don't want to talk about it." She pales slightly, taking a step back.

"Right…sorry..." Before they could say more, the holo-screen flashes on. The Dark Knight, looking less than pleased, appears before them on the screen, with a map already popping up next to him. Two red dots flashing catch their attention. Especially the fact that one of the dots was closing in on the other.

"We have a problem. I located Warp. However, so has Damian. He's on his way now. I will be meeting up with you for this mission. Since you are closer, I'm sending you out first. Stop Damian before he does something he'll regret." The six teens nod. "Head out as soon as possible. Time is of the essence." The screen goes black and the teams take off towards their quarters at the mountain to get changed.


	9. Revenge is Best Served Cold

 

Diana peers into the hospital room, wanting to check on the two universal travelers. She blinks, seeing only Dick staring at the clock, looking rather annoyed and impatient. Last time she checked, Damian was fast asleep cuddled up next to his older brother. "Where's your partner?" Dick looks over at her and sighs, pouting slightly.

"He said he was going to the cafeteria…but, that was over an hour ago. I'm starting to think that he got into a fight or something." The Amazonian Princes frowns.

"I just came from there…I got you boys some food, since I figured you two would be hungry." She holds up the tray in her hand has evidence. He tenses before trying to jump out of bed. Dick winces, stumbling slightly. Wonder Woman quickly places the tray down, and helps stabilize him.

"Whoa there…you shouldn't be out of bed yet."

"Being stuck in bed makes me antsy…and I have to go find Damian. He apparently went after Warp." She frowns, trying to lead him back to the bed, but he keeps limping towards the closet where his costume was being kept.

"How do you know he went after Warp?"

"He's obviously not in the cafeteria. There's only one other place he would be. I have to stop him before he does something he'll regret."

"The League can go after him. You still need to rest!"

"You won't be able to stop him. I'm the only one he'll listen to." He pulls out his costume and turns back towards the Amazon, a sheepish smile on his face. "I know you're worried about me, but I'll be alright, Auntie D…now, if you'll excuse me…I have a little brother to find." The alternate Bat hobbles over to the bathroom to go get changed as Diana sighs, smiling softly. He was the same Dick she had come to love as a son…she only hoped he wouldn't push himself too far and wind up getting himself killed.

* * *

Warp chuckles, looking at all of the priceless artifacts in the Jump City Art Museum, all his for the taking. He reaches out, his fingers gently caressing a delicate, hand-painted, vase from ancient China. "Too easy." The villain snickers, about to take it, when a birdarang flies out from the darkness, slicing through his hand. He cries out in pain, clutching it, trying to stop the bleeding. Before he could look around to try to see where it came from, another birdarang connects with his golden helmet. He stumbles back, his head ringing from the impact. "W-Who's there?" His eyes widen as Robin emerges from the shadows, his hood covering his head. "I see you chose to come with Batman…what a foolish decision. Tell me, has the Justice League found you yet? It's only a matter of time before they lock you up."

"Don't you ever  _shut up_?" The ex-assassin steps forward, the dim lights reflecting off the katana clutched tightly in his right hand. Warp eyes the sword wearily.

"What are you doing with that? I thought your little 'bat-toys' were designed not to kill?" Robin's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Your pitiful existence will be ending tonight." Warp's eyes widen as he takes a step back nervously.

"You're not allowed to kill!"

"Not anymore." Robin hisses viciously, disappearing back into the shadows. The time traveling villain takes off his damaged helmet, throwing it off to the side with a clatter. A laser gun rises from each shoulder of his chest plate as he waits for the bird to make his move. He hears a shuffle from behind him, and quickly spins around, only to find nothing there. Before he can turn around again, he stumbles, feeling the blade slice into the armor on his back. The villain curses, shooting the lasers at the shadow that flickers across the room.

"You can't run forever, Bird Boy!" Several more birdarangs soar towards his head, but they freeze midair before reaching him. "You cannot defeat time!" Warp laughs, shooting off more lasers at random, trying to hit the bird hidden in the darkness. Robin runs out of the shadows, heading straight towards him. Warp shoots at him, but the Boy Wonder jumps, uses the wall to his right as a springboard, and soars over the oncoming lasers. Robin raises his katana, aiming for the villains' throat, but suddenly freezes in the air. Warp kicks him in the stomach, sending him crashing into a marble statue of an angel. The two topple over, the statue breaking from the force. Robin gets up, wiping the blood from his lip as he grabs the sword he dropped during the impact. He glares at his enemy, the vicious expression never leaving his face. "You're so intense today~!" Warp chuckles, smirking confidently. "Strange that there's still no sign of the Bat…" Robin stiffens. "Ah…something happened to him…did he die? Oh, please tell me he died!"

"SILENCE!" The bird runs at him again, faster this time. He throws a birdarang, which Warp dodges. Predicting the villains' movements, the ex-assassin tosses his sword into left hand, slicing up the time traveler's chest. Warp cries out as the suit glitches, starting to electrocute him. The villain quickly grabs the bird's sword while he was still able to move, sending the current to him as well. Robin tries to drop the katana, but it was too late. The Boy Wonder screams in pain as the suit electrocutes them both.

"Robin!" The familiar voice of Miss Martian cuts through the screams. Aqualad rushes towards them, and takes hold of the alternate bird's shoulder. He channels the electricity through his arm and through the water-bearer he had pulled out with his other arm, sending a bolt of electricity into the wall. The current dies down, and Robin slumps forward into Aqualad's arms, panting exhaustedly.

"You're alright now…" Damian looks up at him, and shoves him away, stumbling back towards his sword.

"Stop it! That's enough." The acrobat cries out, stepping out of the shadows. "This isn't what Batman would want! You know that!"

"I don't care! He needs to pay!" Damian growls, running towards the villain who was slowly picking himself off the ground. The ex-assassin kicks him in the jaw, sending him back to the floor, and presses the tip of the sword against the villains' throat. Kid Flash was about to dash over to him, to pull the bird away, but Warp smirks, pressing the glowing sphere in the middle of his golden chest plate. It sends a shockwave, sending Damian flying backwards. Superboy catches him easily before he crashes into the wall. Miss Martian's eyes water as she sees Damian's bloody form fighting in the clone's hold.

"Please! No more! You're hurt!" The bird pulls out a small chunk of Kryptonite, shoving it in Superboy's pocket. The clone instantly drops to his knees, feeling the effects of the glowing green rock. Damian slips from his grasp as Robin runs over to assist his teammate. The alternate bird tosses two birdarangs, pinning the villain's arms to the ground, before walking up to him again. He uses the back of his gloved hand to wipe away the blood that was sliding down his brow, and points the sword at Warp again. Damian raises the katana, about to deal the finishing blow, when a larger hand catches his arm.

"Don't try to stop me! This needs to be done!" He hisses, not needing to glance back to know who it was.

"This isn't  _you_ , Robin…you got your justice." The gentle voice urges, but also makes to move to grab the sword.

"Not yet, I haven't."

"You're not like this anymore…you don't need to kill." Damian glances back at his Batman, starting to tremble slightly.

"Father was right…once an assassin, always an assassin. People can't change…you know that."

"You  _have_  changed. You're not in the League of Assassins anymore. You're my  _partner_. My little brother. I'll be your hope…even when you've lost hope in yourself. I'll always be there for you."

"Y-…you almost left me…" Damian whispers, looking back towards Warp, who was staring at the sword nervously.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen again…" Batman lets go of his arm, placing his hand on his Robin's shoulder instead. "He's not worth it. Do you really want to lose everything because of  _him_?" Damian lets out a shaky breath, and lowers his sword. He gives Warp one last kick before turning away.

"Let's go. I require actually edible food." Batman grins, ruffling his bird's hair affectionately. The fourteen-year-old glowers, swatting his elder brother's hand away. He huffs, dropping the katana, and heads for the door. Batman turns towards the teens, sending them a blinding smile. He mouths 'thank you' before heading off after his partner, wincing every so often. Warp lets out a sigh of relief, and sits up, rubbing his neck where the sword had been digging in.

"Little brat-"

"I need to have a word with you." Warp jumps, looking up at the stony face of the original Dark Knight, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"A-About what?" The Caped Crusader hauls him up roughly by the back of his damaged armor, and proceeds to drag him out of the museum as Warp struggles frantically. The death aura radiating from the Dark Knight was enough to make  _anyone_  soil themselves. Kid Flash snickers, elbowing his best friend in the ribs.

"Did you see the look on his face? I think he peed himself!" Artemis smacks the back of his head.

"We're on a mission. Could you at least  _try_  to be professional for two minutes, Kid Immature? I know that's nearly impossible for you; that's why I'm only asking for two minutes." The speedster sticks his tongue out at her. She growls, about to smack him again, when Robin, who was still standing between the two, raises his hands in defense.

"Well, technically, the mission is over. And yes, it  _is_  impossible for him." Kid Flash pouts.

"Dude! So not fair! Jeez…the other you is a hell of a lot happier than the regular you." Robin glares, sweeping the ginger's feet out from under him. He hits the ground with a thud as the Boy Wonder cackles.

"Serves you right." Artemis smirks, crossing her arms in triumph. Kid Flash just shoots a glare her way before moving to get up. A black glove appears in front of his face and he blinks. Recognizing the familiar design, he grins, taking the bird's hand, which assists in helping him up.

"Thanks, Rob."

"Anytime." The two beam at each other. Artemis makes a gagging noise, heading for the exit.

"Get a room!" They turn bright red, before turning away from each awkwardly other as Miss Martian giggles.


	10. Back Through the Rabbit Hole

 

Dick smirks as Damian quietly stuffs his face with freshly baked honey oatmeal cookies. "I take it that they're acceptable?" The teen ignores him, reaching for the hot chocolate that had just been placed in front of him.

"Though I am happy to see you, Master Dick, this visit was quite unexpected." The elderly butler states, setting a steaming mug of coffee in front of the twenty-five-year-old acrobat.

"Sorry to just turn up on your doorstep, Alfred. You're cooking is the only thing I could think of that Damian would actually eat…and you really outdid yourself this time with the pot pies!" Dick beams, leaning back in the chair.

"You're always welcome here, Master Dick. No matter what universe you are from. Never let Master Bruce tell you otherwise." The alternate Batman chuckles, smirking deviously.

"Since we both know who  _really_  runs the manor."

"I have no idea to whom you are referring." Alfred states professionally, a familiar glint in his eye before walking off. Damian glances over to his older brother from his plate and frowns.

"You're still in pain." Dick pouts.

"Am not."

"You're a terrible liar, Grayson. Go lay down. I'm certain Pennyworth already has rooms ready for us. I would much rather stay here than that dreary cave those teenagers call a base." The acrobat rolls his eyes, taking a sip of coffee.

"I'm sure we're staying here…no doubt Alfred snuck some painkillers into my food. He knows how I am."

"Tt. Good. Then you're dismissed." Dick snorts, ruffling Damian's hair.

"How many times do I have to tell everyone I'm fine?"

"I looked at your chart. The bullet punctured your lung. Not to mention the fractured ribs, concussion, and fractured ankle. Don't do anything so idiotic again, Dick. I won't forgive you." The first Robin blinks, his eyes widening before a huge grin spreads across his face.

"You called me by my first name!" Pink lightly dusts Damian's cheeks as he looks away.

"Don't get used to it, Grayson. It was a slip of the tongue." Dick chuckles, pulling his younger brother into a bear hug.

"I think you like me~!"

"Shut up! I do not! You're merely  _tolerable_  as a partner!" Damian squirms in the hold, desperately trying to break free.

"I can tell you're lying! Just admit it! You love me~!"

"Where the hell would you get that moronic idea? Release me this instant!"

"Not until you admit it~!" The two jump at the sound of someone clearing their throat. They look up at the original Dark Knight, who was towering over them, his eyebrow raised.

"Am I interrupting something?" Damian shoves Dick away, huffing.

"Not at all, Father. I assume you have news for us?" Bruce nods, leaning against the counter next to his first adoptive son.

"Yes. I managed to get the necessary information from Warp to send you two home." Dick smirks, taking another sip of his coffee.

"I hope you didn't scare him  _too_  much." A dark glint flashes in the billionaire's eyes.

"Let's just say, he'll be enjoying his stay in Arkham…we won't be hearing from him for a long while." Dick rolls his eyes, setting his now empty mug down.

"Figures you would scare the piss out of him." His attention focuses on the doorway, where the current Robin was approaching tentatively.

"Um…can I please speak with Dick? Alone?" The alternate Bat eyes him and nods, gracefully sliding out of his seat, and limps up to his younger self.

"Well…this is a bit awkward…" The thirteen-year-old nods, leading the older acrobat to the study. He closes the door behind him, sitting over by the lit fireplace. The twenty-five-year-old follows suit, sitting across from him, making himself comfortable. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

"You're-… _we're_  Batman…" The older Dick nods. Robin looks down, playing with a stray string on his pants. "I see…" Dick sighs heavily, running a hand through his shoulder length ebony locks.

"It's not what you think…you're worried that we become like  _him_ , right?" Robin nods, still not looking back up. "Well, don't worry about that. Yes, the mantle of the Bat is a heavy burden. More than we ever realize. It's juggling looking after Gotham, taking over leadership of the League, trying to piece what's left of our dysfunctional family back together, all while trying to make sure Damian doesn't wind up killing anyone. But, we manage…you see, we're not like Bruce. Nor will we ever be. The mission  _never_  comes before your comrades." Robin looks up at him skeptically.

"But, when I lead the team in the simulation-" Dick holds up a hand, stopping the teens' rant.

"You've never lead a team yet…you didn't know how to act, so you resorted to the only way you  knew. To act like the leader you know so well. You became Bruce as a failsafe. Now that you know what it's like, you won't resort to that again. Take the time to think through the plans, and  _all_  possible options before making a decision."

"I  _did_! The plan I came up with was the only one that worked!"

"No, you didn't."

"You weren't there! You don't  _know_!" Robin gets up, his eyes watering frustratedly. Dick smiles softly, getting up as well, and hobbles over to the teen.

"No, but I know  _you_. You're still young…yes, you have lots of experience as Robin, but not on a team. You've only ever worked with Bruce. Don't let the pressure of being the best get to you. Yes, we fail sometimes, but it happens. We're human."

"But we're leading metas! They expect us to be perfect! If I mess up, someone could  _die_!"

"And sometimes, the unfortunate happens. They know you're human. People, even metas, make mistakes. The only thing you need to focus on, is being the hero we both know you are. No matter what, even through the hard times, remember who you are, Richard. Remember what we're fighting for. We're fighting so that no one ever has to suffer like we have again." Robin looks up at him sadly as Dick steps forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulder comfortingly. The alternate Bat pulls him into a side-hug, and turns so that they were both facing the portrait above the fireplace. He smiles up at the picture of their parents sadly. "They would be so proud of us…I know, you don't want the mantle of Batman…but we're our own hero. We're not Bruce's Batman. We're the Bat Gotham  _needs_  at the time." Dick ruffles the teens' dark hair before. Robin sniffles, leaning into his embrace.

"Thank you."

"Remember. Don't lose yourself to the darkness. No matter how hopeless things seem, it  _will_  get better. You have people all around you who love you. They will always be there to help you up if you fall." Robin hugs him tightly, burring his face into his chest as he breaks down. Dick smiles softly, rubbing the teens' back comfortingly. "Shall we go prove to Bruce that I haven't murdered you?" The young bird laughs, pulling back, and wipes his eyes.

"I think some of Alfie's cookies are in order."

"You know it!" Dick chuckles, throwing an arm over the bird's shoulder, and leads him back to the kitchen where Bruce and Damian were seemingly having a stare-down. "As much as you want to, Little D, you don't have heat vision." Damian snaps out of it and glowers over at his partner.

"Don't be so childish, Grayson." He grumbles, hopping out of the chair. "Are we leaving now?"

"After cookies!"

"Tt. You and your bloody cookies." Dick rolls his eyes, leading the younger version of himself over to the plate of cookies that Alfred had conveniently refilled while they were away.

"Oh! Do you guys want to say good-bye to the team before you leave?" Robin beams excitedly, taking a cookie.

"N-"

"Of course!" Dick cuts off Damian, smiling warmly. "They  _did_  manage to put up with this one for a few days without any causalities." He nudges his partner, who grumbles something in Arabic. "They deserve a metal!" Bruce coughs, trying to hide his chuckle as Robin nods enthusiastically.

"Ugh. Too many Grayson's." Damian grumbles, walking out.

* * *

Wally paces around the living room of the cave at Mount Justice as the others sit around on the sofa, waiting for the return of their bird. "Calm down, Baywatch. Ro-…Dick said he would be right back." Artemis sighs, crossing her arms. "I can't believe Robin is Dick Grayson!"

"He didn't want you to know because he didn't want you guys to treat him differently." Wally states softly, causing the archer to frown.

"Wait…you  _knew_? For how long?" Wally looks away guiltily.

"A couple years…I was on a mission with him, and we ran into Zucco…he kind of lost it, and wound up breaking down after we caught him and explained everything….it was the first time I ever saw him cry…" The clone crosses his arms, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Who's Zucco?"

"He's the one who murdered Dick's parents…he was only nine-years-old and had to watch them die… _that's_  why he became Robin." Wally answers as Megan looks over at him sadly. "He didn't want pity…Bruce really saved his life…I saw the orphanage they had him in…it looked worse than  _Arkham_ …it's a miracle he's still sane after spending a month in there…the stupid higher-ups at the orphanage took longer than they should have to get the paperwork together so that Bruce could adopt him…"

"Why didn't he say anything?" The martian's eyes water. "After we so carelessly talked about family in the past in front of him!"

"It's alright…you guys are part of my family now." They all jump, hearing the familiar voice of their bird.

"W-when did you get here?" Megan asks nervously, having not heard the computer announce his arrival.

"When Wally started to talk about Zucco." Robin sighs.

"He had no right to explain your life to them if you didn't want them to know. It's none of their business." Damian states, appearing behind him from the shadows. The speedster pales, taking a step back.

"I-I-I-"

"Leave him alone, Little D…they were bound to find out anyway." The alternate Bat states, smirking as he steps out of the darkness as well. He slips his cowl down, beaming at the five teens. "Just wanted to thank you all for taking care of my little brother. I know, he can be a little bit of a brat, so thank you for tolerating him!" Kaldur smiles warmly, getting up from the couch, and walks over to the heroes of Gotham.

"I am glad you are doing well, Batman." Dick waves his hand dismissively.

"Please, call me Dick. Batman is way too formal." The Atlantian nods. "Well, we just wanted to say bye! Bats found a way to send us back home."

"Speak for yourself, Grayson. I didn't want to come back to this damp hell hole." Dick frowns.

"Be nice, Damian. They gave you food and shelter while I was MIA. Plus, they helped you find me!" He blinks, then spins back towards the darkness, suddenly remembering something. "Oh! What about the boys who helped me out?" Bruce emerges from the shadows.

"The Wayne Foundation found them a very nice foster family." Dick beams.

"Thank you! They really are good boys. They just need a home with someone to love them." Megan floats forward, giving the alternate Bat a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright! We were all so worried about you! Especially Damian!"

"I was not, Green Woman! I always knew he was fully capable of handling himself. He's Batman." Dick sighs, smacking the back of his partners' head.

"Her name is Megan. And don't forget that she was the one who fed you." Damian glares, looking up at his mentor irritatedly.

"Are you quite done reminiscing with these incompetent teens?" Dick sighs heavily.

"Well, we should get going. I'm sure we've worried our friends back home for long enough." The others nod, stepping forward and give the alternate Dark Knight a hug.

"Nice to meet you, Damian…try not to give the other me too many problems." Robin states, ruffling the other bird's hair. Damian glowers, swatting his hand away.

"I never give Batman any problems. Any errors that occur during patrol is his doing." Dick sighs, grabbing Damian's cape and starts dragging him towards the cave entrance.

"Bye~! Nice to meet you!" Dick chimes, waving back twoards the team. Megan giggles at the other Bats' antics, waving at the two as the zeta beam transporter activates. The remaining Bat nods to the other teens.

"I expect a full mission report by tomorrow morning." With that, he heads off to the transporter with his bird as the reaming five teens groan in dread.

* * *

Dick and Damian glance over to the transporter as Batman and Robin arrive. "I just had to reconfigure the zeta transporter, and that will be able to send you two home. This trip will be far less painful than your arrival." Dick smiles brightly.

"Thank God for that! Being torn apart isn't very pleasant in the least." Bruce stiffens, suddenly wanting to go back and torture Warp further. He walks over to the Batcomputer and starts typing rapidly. Once the coordinates were set, he turns back to the alternate dynamic duo and nods towards the transporter.

"It's ready whenever you are." Dick hugs Bruce tightly.

"Thank you for everything…and it was so good to see you again, Dad." Bruce hesitantly returns the hug.

"Take care of yourself."

"Don't I always?" Dick smirks, stepping away from him. He squeezes Robin's shoulder comfortingly. "And don't forget what we talked about."

"I won't." He smiles warmly, heading towards the zeta beam transporter as Damian nods at the current dynamic duo before meeting up with his partner. The two get engulfed in a bright white light, disappearing.

* * *

"Oh my! Masters Dick and Damian! I was so worried!" The two look over as the aging butler quickly makes his way to the zeta beam transporter. "What ever happened to you? I contacted the League, and they didn't have any explanation for your disappearance!" Dick smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry, Alfie…we ran into Warp, and he kind of transported us to another universe."

"You two have been missing for a week!"

"He was shot in the chest, Pennyworth. It's probably time to redress his wound." Damian states as he squeezes past the butler to head up the hidden staircase.

"Good heavens, Master Dick! What have I told you about being careful?" Dick glares after his younger brother as Alfred escorts him towards the infirmary.

"Traitor! Alfred, I'm  _fine_!" Damian ignores him, disappearing upstairs. Yes, things were back to normal. Just as they should be. One Grayson was more than enough.

_Fin_


End file.
